Wheel scraping apparatus and the like



NOV. 17, H 1 BO WHEEL SCRAPING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 2, 1931 14 A (H m m IN YEN TOR.

# ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 17, 1931 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERBERT L. BONE, 0F SWISSVAIIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, SYLVANIA OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- WHEEL SCRAPING APPARATUS AND LIKE Application filed January 2, 1931. Serial No. 506,062.

My invention relates to wheel scraping apparatus and the like, and is particularly suitable for, although in no way limited to, use for removing accumulations of grease and dirt from the wheels of freight cars which are to passthrough a classification yard car retarder, thus preventing accumulation of grease and dirt on such car retarder.

I will describe oneform of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan viewshowing a section, of railway track provided with wheel scraping apparatus embodying my invention. Fig.2 is a top plan view showing a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 on a somewhat larger scale. Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line IIIIII of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is an end view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 as it appears when viewed from the right in Fi 2.

imilar reference characters refer to similar parts in all four views.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thereference characters 1 and 1" designate the track rails of a stretch of railway track, which track rails are mounted upon crossties 2 in the usual and well known manner. Extending parallel with rail 1 along the outside of the rail is a scraper bar A, and extending parallel with rail 1 along the outside of the rail is a similar scraper bar B. Each scraper bar is made up of a plurality of sections, and as here shown, each section comprises an L-shaped beam or angle iron 3 provided with a removable wheel engaging shoe 4.

The scraper bars are supported by a plurality of vertical arms 5, one of which extends downwardly from the bars at the junction of each two adjoining intermediate sections, and at the outer end of each end section. The top of each arm 5 is fastened to the associated beam section 3 and to the associated shoe 4 by means of bolts 6, and each arm is pivotally supported intermed ate its ends on a longitudinally extending pivot pm 7 carried by a pair of depending lugs 8 formed on a support 9 which is fastened to the ad acent ties 2 by means of bolts 10, as best seen in will suffice for all. 11 designates a Fig. 4. It will be apparent, therefore, that H arms which support the scraper bar A is directly opposite a corresponding one of the arms which support the scraper bar B, and

associated with each pair of oppositely dis posed arms 5 is suitable mechanism for biasing the arms to a position in which the scraper bars will engage the outside faces of the wheels of a car as it passes through the apparatus. These biasing mechanisms, in the form here shown, are all similar to the biasing mechanism illustrated in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 1, and a. description of this mechanism The reference character compression spring located in a cylindrical housing 12. The housing 12 extends transversely to the rails between an adjacent pair of ties 2, and is rigidly held in place by two support brackets 14 which are secured to the ties by bolts 15. Extending through each bracket 14- is a hole 16 (see Fig. which communicates with the interior of the associated housing 12 at the corresponding end of the housing. A spring follower .11 1s slidabiy mounted in each of these holes,

and. each spring follower 18 provided at its inner end with an annular flange 17 which cooperates with the associated end of the comis connected with the adjacent arm 5 by means 7 of a pin 19 which extends through the eye of the bolt and through bifurcations 5 formed on the lower end of the arm 5 (see Fig. 4). Lock nuts 20 are provided on the eyebolts for locking them in the desired adjusted positions.

It will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 1 that the outer end of each end section of each scraper bar is flared outwardly, that is, bent away from the associated rail. These flares are so designed and so proportioned that it is possible for freight car wheels as well as locomotive wheels having wide tires to push back the scraper bars upon entering the apparatus rather than run against the ends of the scraper bars.

The operation of the apparatus as a whole is as follows: The eyebolts 18 are normally so adjusted and the parts are so proportioned that, when the apparatus 1s unoccupied by a car, the distance between the wheel engaging shoes will be somewhat less (for example, one inch) than the distance between the outside faces of a pair of standard car wheels on the same axle. As a result, when a car enters the scraping apparatus, the scraper bars are forced apart, and as the car passes through the apparatus the scraper bars become converged in front of, and behind the car wheels. The separation of the scraper bars compresses the springs 11 of the biasing mechanisms, thus exerting a force on the sides of the wheels so that as the wheels pass through the scraping apparatus, any grease and dirt which has accumulated on the wheels is scraped from the sides of the wheels. The wheel engaging shoes are attached to the L beams in such positions that they will engage the sides of the wheels at about the same relative loca tions the brake shoes of the usual car retarders in the classification yard, and it will be apparent, herefore, that the scraper bars will remove all of the grease and dirt from the car wheels which would otherwise accumulate on the car retarders.

It should be noted that with the apparatus constructed in the manner described, the wheel engaging shoes are positively held in alignment and in the proper position relative to the rail when the apparatus is unoccupied by a car, and that when the apparatus is occupied by a car the pressure against the car wheels exerted by both scraper bars is equalized.

Although the scraping apparatus embodying my invention is intended primarily for removing accumulation of grease and dirt from the sides of car wheels, it will be observed that the apparatus also exerts a certain amount of retarding force on the car as the car passes through the apparatus, and it follows that by properly prcportioning the parts, a similar structure might, under some conditions, be employed as a car retarder.

One advantage of wheel scraping apparatus embodying my invention is that since it scribed onl one form of wheel scraping apparatus em odying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. The combination with a pair of track rails, of two bars one extending parallel to each rail, pivoted supporting arms extending downwardly from and attached to the bars, and biasing meansinciuding a single spring connected with the lower ends of each pair of arms for biasing the bars to a position in which they will engage the sides of the wheels of cars traversing said rails.

2. The combination with a pair of track rails, of two scraper bars one extending parallel with each track rail, supporting arms extending downwardly from the bars and attached at their upper ends to the bars, said arms being pivotally supported intermediate their ends, a compression spring located between the arms, and means pivotally connected with each arm and engaging the opposite ends of said spring in such manner that said bars upon engagement by the wheels of a car will be urged away from the rails against a force which depends upon the amount of compression of said spring.

' 3. The combination with a pair of track rails, of two scraper bars one extending par allel with each rail along the outer side of the rail, two supporting arms one extending downwardly from each bar and attached at its upper end to the bar, said arms being pivotally supported intermediate their ends in such manner that said bars are free to rotate toward and away from the associated rail,

and a compression spring connected with the lower ends of the arms in such manner that the arms are constantly biased to a position in which said bars will engage the outer side faces of the wheels of a car traversing said rails and remove accumulations of grease and dirt therefrom.

4c. The combination of a pair of track rails supported on crossties in the usual manner,

of two scraper bars one extending parallel with each rail along the outer side of the rail, two supporting arms one extending downwardly from each bar, said arms being se cured at their upper ends to said bars and being pivotally supported intermediate their removes the accumulation of grease and dirt ends on pivot pins in such manner that rotation of the arms about the pivot pins will move the bars toward and away from the adjacent track rail, a spring housing extending at right angles to the rails adjacent the lower ends of said arms, two brackets for supporting said spring housing one secured to the ties adjacent each end of the housing and each provided with ahole which communicates with the adjacent end of the housing, a

compression spring in said housing, two spring followers one slidably mounted in the hole in each bracket and each provided at its outer end with a threaded bore, and two eyebolts one adj ustably screwed into the threaded bore in each spring follower and pivotally connected with the lower end of the adjacent arm, the parts being so proportioned that said arms are normally biased by said spring to a position in which said bars will engage the sides of the wheels of a car traversing said track rails.

5. The combination with a pair of track rails supported on crossties in the usual manner, of two scraper bars one extending parallel with each rail in a position to engage the outer side faces of the wheels of a car traversing the rails, each scraper bar comprising a plurality of L beams each provided with a Wheel engaging shoe, supporting arms eX- tending downwardly from the bars at the junction of the sections and at the outer end of each end section, said arms being secured at their upper ends to the L beams of the adjacent section and being pivotally supported intermediate their ends on longitudinally extending pivot pins carried by brackets secured to the ties, a spring housing extending transversely to the rails at each pair of arms, supporting brackets for each housing, said brackets being secured to the ties and being provided with holes which communicate with the opposite ends of the associated housing, a compression spring in each housing, a spring follower slidably mounted in the hole in each bracket and provided at its inner end with a circumferential flange which cooperates with the adjacent end of the associated spring, each said spring follower being provided with a threaded bore, an eyebolt screwed into the threaded bore in each spring follower and pivotally connected with the lower end of the adjacent arm, and lock nuts on each eyebolt for locking the eyebolt in an adjusted position, the parts being so proportioned that said bars are normally held by the force of said compression springs in a position to engage the outer side faces of the wheels of a car as it passes through said bars.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HERBERT L. BONE. 

